Pearls of Encouragement for Christian Working Moms
June 2007
Welcome
Witnessing Tool
Blog/Online Bible Study
Article – Be Careful What You Pray For
Final Thoughts

Welcome

Hello everyone. I hope you are having a good summer, depending on where you live. I have had a few exciting days recently. Some mice decided they like my office best of all where I work. I am not nearly as fond of them as they are of my office. I think all my new “friends” have gone on to mouse heaven (or wherever they go) and I’m much happier. I still have a tendency to jump if anything is close to me. I’m truly amazed how something so small can really turn your life upside down. Welcome to all the new CWM’s that have joined us each week. You would not believe that women from all over the world share your same concerns and burdens.

Many of you have asked about family worship or devotion tools. Do you find it difficult to memorize scripture? I still remember scripture I learned as a child, especially if the verse was put to a song. There are now scripture music CD’s. You can listen to the CD’s with your children while you are in the car and everyone can learn scripture together. To find out more, click here.

Witnessing Tool

Do you sometimes find it difficult to share your faith? Do you often get tongue tied? My family has found a great website called www.pocketpower.org. You can sign up to receive free (yes free) 30 gospels of John each month to give out to neighbors, co-workers, the checkout person at the store, your waitress, etc. They have several different covers and translations. So, you can pick out one that fits the person. They also have Spanish and Chinese translations. The plan of salvation is inside the Gospel of John and people can sign up for a free email course when they become a Christian. My children have really gotten into this and will hand them out to people when we check out. We have had few people refuse. There is a wonderful story behind how the whole ministry started. I will give you a hint, it involves chocolate. We all love chocolate don’t we? Go to the website to find out the whole story. If you do sign up, please use one of the following referral numbers 244755 or 244836. Those are my children’s numbers. If they get so many people to sign up they get a free gift. No pressure. Remember we are only responsible to share the gospel and leave the results to God. So, begin planting some seeds.

Blog/Online Bible Study

We recently had a question posted from a CWM in Tasmania wanting to know how you deal with being the only CWM in your church. There is also a question posted now about if you have any end of the school year traditions. You can find the CWM blog at http://christianworkingmoms.blogspot.com.

The Online Bible Study now has 5 lessons posted. Please feel free to post your answers to the questions. You can find the online Bible Study at http://kimberlychastain.com/discussCWMU.

Article – Be Careful What You Pray For

What is your prayer life like? Do you find it hard to pray? Do find it hard to find time to pray? When you do pray do you have specific things you are praying for and you ask God to answer your prayer in a specific way? Basically, do you give your wish list to God and pray that he answers your prayers your way.

Recently, I learned that we need to be careful what we pray for and how we pray. We only need to look back to the children of Israel in the Old Testament. I would encourage you to read 1 Samuel starting in chapter 8 and going through chapter 12. The people of Israel started whining and complaining to Samuel that they wanted a King like everybody else. They saw all the other countries had a King and they wanted one to. Samuel was quick to tell them they were wrong and that God was their king and they were rejecting him. He also said you don’t realize what an earthly king would require. You will lose some of your children to serve in the palace and army. A portion of your crops will go to the King. The people continue to plead for a King and Samuel spoke to God. God said, “I will give them what they asked, but they have forsaken me. God then said warn them what will happen and tell them the procedure.” If you continue to read 1 Samuel you will see many times where Israel did not do well under an earthly king. Often they were defeated and in 1 Samuel 15 God says he regretted ever making Saul king due to his disobedience.

Why am I sharing this important story from the Old Testament with you? We often think we know what is best for us. Israel wanted a king to be like everyone else and they denied God as their King. When I read this story it makes me stop in my tracks and realize that what God wants for my life is the best and I should follow what he wants and not what I want. God ended up giving the people of Israel what they wanted even though it wasn’t best for them. He allowed them to give into their selfish desires.

We need to bring our prayer requests to God and say not my will but yours God. Often, we say that without thinking and I hate to say often as a PS to the end of our prayer. We truly need to say God I know you know what is best, you see and hold my future in your hands. Please show me what to do and how to handle a particular situation. Maybe you are desperately praying to be a stay at home Mom or change jobs. Could it be that God has you exactly where he wants you in order to glorify him and accomplish his purpose?

I would challenge us to start praying God make my desires line up with your desires. If you have a desire to stay home asked God if that is what He wants. If not, that he will take that desire away from you. If you are working at a job you truly can’t stand ask God for direction to leave or stay? If it is to stay then how can God help you grow and learn in that situation?

In conclusion, we do need to be careful what we pray for. The people of Israel wanted an earthly king and they paid dearly for their choice. Some paid with their lives or their children’s lives. We need to learn from this story in the Old Testament that God will not share his glory or authority. He knows what is best for us and we have to trust that his ways are best and not our own.

Final Thoughts

I have to admit I was a chicken when it came to my mouse problem at work. I didn’t scream, but I definitely decided it was a man’s job to take care of the issue. So, we need to be thankful for men in our lives especially when they kill mice for us.

Till next time,

Kimberly M. Chastain

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